1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to the production of natural gas, and more particularly, to a system and method for producing natural gas utilizing a laser, which natural gas may be used to fuel an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present industrial age has been characterized by a huge number of CO2 emitting vehicles on the world's roads. The burning of fossil fuels by such vehicles, however, has become the subject of major controversy. Reputable scientists have indicated that the carbon emissions resulting from the burning of such fossil fuels is negatively impacting the environment and atmosphere. In particular, such increased carbon emissions are widely believed to be the cause of global climate changes, resulting in a number of natural catastrophes and meteorological phenomena that caused a great loss of human life. The continued production of CO2 and its resultant increased presence in the Earth's atmosphere could induce further dramatic global climate change, resulting in the further loss of human life and possibly, if unchecked, causing a “runaway greenhouse effect” that could eliminate all human life from the planet.
Additionally, in recent times, the actual supplying of such fossil fuels has become the object of disputes occurring across international political boundaries, causing shortages in certain areas and extreme price fluctuations. These factors have a worldwide economic impact.
It is readily apparent that some corrective measure must be taken to alleviate the situation created by the burning and/or supplying of fossil fuels. What is needed is a system and method for generating fuel for an internal combustion engine that avoids the problems inherent with the production and supply of fuels today. What is further needed is an internal combustion engine including such a system that does not release harmful CO2 into the atmosphere.
The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems that remain in the art in a manner not previously known.